Hanger's Nest
by Kate Has The Wings
Summary: An old haunted BAr, some meddling Spirits, and a typical night at Hanger's Nest. Meet the characters years after college. Everyone turns up at Hanger's Nest eventually. RYOU POV


I've been bartending for about seven years, ever since I got out of High School. It was my dream since like 4th grade when my dad took me to a bar outside of town, and ordered me a drink to discourage my drinking. He had noticed that I had been stealing his liquor and other various drink assortments. He ordered me the best drink I ever had, after explaining it to the bartender why he was ordering me alcohol. So I've been into alcohol my entire life. My name is Ryou Bakura, and I love bartending.

I've met quite a few characters while working this bar, and I definately have favorites. I have the ones who drink because their wives are leaving, and others because their wives left. I work in a Gentleman's Club called Hanger's Nest. It's called that because this is where all the kids used to commit suicide and murders a hundred years ago. It was like they roosted here, or something. Anyone who works here or comes here often know we have a few... eternal visitors hanging around. They definately bring in a crowd.

Why don't you stick around, and watch some of the characters I may get tonight. The first character of the night, Jounounchi Katsuya, he is something else. He's a regular here, normally celebrating his articles getting awards and stuff. He's a newspaper Journalist. He looks awfully glum tonight. Let's see what's going on.

"Aww, Jou what's shakin' you?" I asked him, leaning on the cherry hardwood bar.

"Karma. It's always coming back around, ain't it?" Jou sat on the leather barstool, slumping over, with his face in his palms. "I mean I wrote the best article of my life, you know on the embezzlement of the Corporate companies by the stock Market? Bad Poi I say." Jou sighed.

"Your stock-holders withdrew, and your stocks went down, huh?" I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You got it man! 'At's Karma for ya." He sighed.

"You want your usual?" I asked him softly, hoping to get him drunk enough to tell me what else Karma did to him. We Bartenders have something called Bar-Sense. You customer buys one drink, and you know all about them.

"Nah. Routine kills. Surprise me." He smiled up at me.

Damn. Oh well. "Hmm." I thought deeply.

What would be a fitting drink? Jou was partial to Gin, hell he loved the stuff. So I took out a mixing glass and filled it half up with ice. I put in two ounces of gin (Roughly now, I'm proffesional), 1/2 an ounce dry vermouth, 2 dash bitters, and maraschino liqueur. I stirred it quickly, and strained it into a cocktail glass. And suavely garnished with a cherry. It's an artform to me these days. A few backflips, maybe to it while juggling, and balance my checkbook. I'm a genious. Nah, I can't do all that, but that'd be awesome.

"What'd you slip me this time?" Jou asked, eyeing the drink carefully.

"Boomerang, you throw it and it always comes back. Well... most of the time..." I laughed, and smiled at him brightly.

My second character came in. He's comes every night after working out at the coalmines. He always gets a Boilermaker, 1 ounce Whiskey in a shot glass and beer on the side. He looks a little, scared tonight. His clothes are torn, and his hands are filthy, like always, I wonder what eating him.

"Oh my god..." Honda Hiroto sat down at the bar. "I... I..."

"What's eating you?" Jou asked.

I shot him a look. Jou'd probably give the third degree to a criminal investigator!

"Want your regular?" I asked him softly.

"No... I don't want the regular. No one'd believe me after I drank that." He chuckled softly. "I just cheated death. Twice in one night." He said even softer, his voice harsh. "Give me something fittin', Ryou."

I thought for a moment. He cheated Death Twice? I guess he'd be on borrowed time now, then huh? I turned and ran into the back room to get some Canadian Whiskey. I got an egg out of the fridge, and returned to the bar. In a shaker half filled with ice cubes, I combined 1 1/2 ounces of whiskey, 1/2 ounce of ruby port, an egg yolk, and a teaspoon of grenadine. I shook it carefully and thoroughly. I then strained it into a cocktail glass.

"What've you given me?" He looked at me like I was crazy for adding egg yolk.

"Borrowed Time, that's what I've given you." I smiled.

"Always the optimist, aren't you?" He smiled, and sighed.

"Now spill." I smiled.

He took a sip. "I got trapped in a cave-in in the mine. not far under, mind you 50 under with 5 guys. They all looked to me for help, Grey and Jet were trapped under the rubble, and we being also trained in emergency cave-in maneuvers quickly thought of a plan to get'm out. Turned out that that was a bad idea, and I got trapped pretty soon. Air was running out pretty fast down there, and just as soon as Grey passed out from oxygen deprivation, the cre had dug us out."

"That's amazing, Honda!" Jou smiled. "Can I get an exclusive story from you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, b'lemme finish my story!" Honda smiled. "I was driving home from the hospital, and some guy hits me off the road with his Tractor-trailer haulin' 50 tons of lumber. So My Motorcycle goes flying into a ravine. My bike is trashed, but I walked away without a scratch. The police said I should be dead the way my bike landed on my ribcage and the rocks in the ravine hit, but not one rib is broken!"

"Survivors story... I can see it now! This has no possible way of coming back around on me!" Jou smiled, and Honda and Jou started talking.

My third character came sulking in. He's always good for a 'Damn-your-eyes'. Otogi Ryuuji. He's shaking. He only comes in when something's wrong. Like really wrong. He took a seat on the other side of the bar, secluded like. He sat perfectly still now, perfectly straight, only his breath erratic.

"What's wrong?"

"I've... I've done something terrible." He said quietly. "Just give me anything. I-I don't care, really."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him, placing my hand on his shoulder.

He pulled away. "I didn't mean to do it." He said absently.

I turned. He was hiding something. He was so traumatized, you could see his hair was tangled, and his eyes were blank. In a shaker half filled with ice cubes I combined 1 1/2 ounce of dark rum, 1/2 an ounce of anejo rum, 1/2 ounce of Kahlua, and 1/2 ounce of heavy cream. I shook it well, and strained it into a cocktail glass. I handed it to him.

He didn't ask what it was, but he downed it in two sips. I fixed him one more and told him to sip at it, and that I'd be back in a little while. He always talked when he was buzzed.

The next character was one of my most favorites. Seto Kaiba. He's a stuck up jerk most of the time, but hell, if you get him drunk enough he's the life of the party. The first time I met him at my bar I slipped him something a little... stronger than what he asked for. He never noticed. He looks genuinely happy today. That's so odd for him.

"What're you smiling about?" I asked him.

He stopped smiling. " I hacked the system of another company, and now know all of their plans to take over my company."

"Aren't you just the master?" I teased him lightly.

"You know it. Give me something new tonight. I'm in the mood to celebrate." He took a seat a few seats from Otogi.

I knew immediatley what to give him. In a shaker half filled with ice cubes, I combines 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 1/2 an ounce Creme de bananes, 1/2 an ounce of lemon juice and the egg white I had left over. I shook it well and strained it into an old-fashioned glass almost completely filled with ice cubes.

I handed it to him. "For our little Spy Master, a... well... SpyMaster." I smiled at him, and turned back to Otogi. He was crying quietly. I walked over to him. "What's wrong, Otogi?"

"I killed a man today, Ryou." He said loudly.

"What do you mean, Otogi, who did you kill?" I asked softly.

"I was doing some favors for some of my associates, haulin' lumber for them. I killed him. I saw him go flying, but I didn't even stop to see if he was okay. The police they caught me. They let me go on account of I paid 'em off, but... I killed a man." Otogi cried into his arms pitifully.

"Was he on a red motorcycle?" I asked.

"They had it on the news, huh?" He sobbed harder.

"Nah, he's here, though." I smiled reassuringly.

"So now this's where all the dead go? Suddenly a freaken hotspot for spiritual activity?" He asked loudly.

"He's still amoung the living, Otogi. He's greatful to be alive. I'll be right back." I walked to Honda and Jou.

"Who the Sob case?" Honda asked, eyeing him.

"The guy who hit you. He's hysterically crying 'cause he killed you." I explained. "He's sorry."

"Aww, man. That jerk?" Honda growled.

"He's not a jerk. He... paid for his crime. Can you go tell him everything's okay? He doesn't believe me that you're alright." I explained.

"That jerk can go--"

"Oh, and your montly tab is du--"

"I'll be right back!" Honda went to Otogi.

Jou's cellphone rang. He placed it on the bar. "I don't want to pick up. You pick up."

"It's your phone. Who knows maybe good news is on the way." I assured.

"Fine." He sighed and picked up. "Jounounchu Katsuya." He listened intently on the phone. "It did what!" He gasped. He talked a few minutes and smiled, then hung up. "My stocks went up! Like through the roof kinda went up. Some CEO anticipated a move, and bought some of my shares! If I ever meet that man, I'd give him the biggest hug he's ever gotten!"

"He's right there." I pointed to Kaiba.

Jou ran up to him, and tackled him in a hug form. Everything had worked out just perfectly. And I got a raise that night. So now you know some of the typical miracles my haunted Gentleman's Club can make. Don't think this was all fate, my spirits meddle, for good and for bad. They meddle like turning the wheel's on a truck towards a motorcycler to make Honda meet his best friend, and how would a CEO know who to hack when? Clever little demons my spirits are.

K-Wings: One-Shot. OR do you want more?


End file.
